Local Citation
A local citation is any online mention of a local business’s name, address, and phone number — commonly referred to as NAP. These citations often appear in local business directories, websites, apps, and social media platforms.
Local citations help customers find your business and are a key part of local SEO. They signal to search engines like Google that your business is real, active, and relevant to local search queries. The more consistent and accurate your citations are across the web, the more trust you build with both search engines and potential customers.
Where local citations appear
You’ll commonly find local citations in places like:
- Online business directories (e.g., Yelp, Yellow Pages, Foursquare)
- Google Business Profile
- Facebook business pages
- Chamber of Commerce listings
- Industry-specific websites (e.g., Healthgrades for doctors)
- Map services (e.g., Apple Maps, Bing Maps)
Types of local citations
There are two main types of citations:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Structured | Listings on directories with specific fields for name, address, and phone |
| Unstructured | Mentions of your business in blog posts, news articles, or social media |
Both types can benefit local SEO if the NAP details are consistent and accurate.
HTML example of a structured citation
<div class="business-citation">
<p>Sunny Café</p>
<p>123 Main Street, Hometown, CA 90210</p>
<p>(555) 123-4567</p>
</div>
Why local citations matter for SEO
Accurate citations can:
- Improve your visibility in local search results and map listings
- Boost credibility with search engines and customers
- Help Google verify your business details
- Drive more traffic to your website or physical location
- Support voice search results, which often rely on citation data
Inconsistent or incorrect citations (like a wrong phone number or outdated address) can confuse both users and search engines — which may hurt your rankings.
Best practices for managing local citations
- Make sure your NAP is consistent across all listings
- Start with major platforms: Google, Yelp, Bing, Apple Maps
- Use a citation management tool (e.g., Moz Local, Yext, BrightLocal)
- Update outdated or duplicate listings
- Add extra info where possible: business hours, website, services, photos
- Monitor your listings regularly to ensure accuracy
In summary, a local citation is any online mention of your business’s key contact details. Keeping your citations consistent and accurate across the web builds trust, improves your visibility in local search, and helps more customers find you.